High Lift Donors Last Fiscal Year NOV Analysis

High Lift Donors LFY NOV

How to use the High Lift Donors LFY NOV analysis

This analysis identifies donors who have significantly increased their giving in November of the last full fiscal year compared to their personal average for the same month across the prior three years. By focusing on this target month and measuring each donor's unique giving lift, you can pinpoint individuals who are exhibiting strong upward trends—your high lift donors—who may be primed for deeper engagement or recognition.

The analysis uses your Gifts and Constituents data, examining each donor's giving in November over four years. It calculates the donor's average November giving for the three fiscal years before last year (establishing a personal baseline), then compares that to their actual giving in November of the previous fiscal year. Only donors whose most recent November giving exceeded their baseline are included, ensuring you focus on those with genuine, positive momentum.

Key columns include not only the lift calculation, but also each donor s baseline average and actual giving in the latest November.  These details support a more personalized approach-for example, referencing a donor's consistent loyalty or recent surge in giving during stewardship or cultivation outreach.

The primary metric, Personal Incremental Lift ($),  helps you move beyond generic segmentation. Rather than just looking at total giving or year-over-year change, you can identify and prioritize donors whose behavior signals a new level of commitment. This is especially valuable for year-end strategies, leadership gift prospects, and stewardship planning.

You should assign this analysis to development officers for portfolio review, as well as to annual giving or stewardship teams who are planning touchpoints for the fiscal year. Use the outputs to trigger timely thank-you calls, targeted upgrade asks, or special recognition for donors whose support is accelerating. For major gifts officers, these donors may warrant qualification for deeper relationship building.

Success can be measured by tracking subsequent retention and upgrade rates among high-lift donors, as well as by monitoring response rates to personalized outreach efforts that reference their recent giving lift. This analysis is recommended to be reviewed periodically as part of your Constituent Intelligence routines, ensuring you consistently capture and respond to emerging donor trends.